Image credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Last Friday, VICE News published an article with an unusually pointed statement by a spokesperson for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints against Tim Ballard, the popular Latter-day Saint founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). It indicated that Tim Ballard had ‘betrayed [his] friendship” with President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The violation was “the unauthorized use of President Ballard’s name for Tim Ballard’s personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable… President Ballard never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim’s personal or financial interests.”
Tim Ballard did not take the news well, decrying the Church’s accusation with a public monologue to a Boston group on Saturday. On Monday, VICE News reporters published a follow-up article, reporting on breaking news by Lynn Packer that Tim Ballard was accused of sexual misconduct with multiple women in connection with his undercover operations. Great articles by both reporters and scholars dealing with this newer information in light of the Church’s previous statement were published on Monday.
- Peggy Fletcher Stack at The Salt Lake Tribune: “LDS Church didn’t denounce me, Tim Ballard fires back.”
- Benjamin E. Park at Slate: “Sound of Freedom‘s Tim Ballard Is a Star on the Right. Why Would His Church Denounce Him?”
- Jana Reiss at Religion News Service: “Allegations against Tim Ballard, inspiration behind ‘Sound of Freedom,’ explain rebuke by LDS Church.”
Some suggest the sexual misconduct was the “morally unacceptable” activity mentioned in the Church’s statement. I don’t think so.
Typically, Church leaders prefer not to comment on problematic behavior by church members. Correction is left to local leaders, which is why Tim Ballard mentioned asking his local leaders, bishop and stake president, if they were aware of the Church’s charges (they weren’t). There are a few times in recent memory, however, when the Church made it publicly known that they were unhappy with apparent active members in good standing. The common elements are that (1) the individuals had large followings, and (2) they used Church teachings to justify behavior embarassing to the institution. The public affairs department thus used statements (usually prompted by media inquiries) to protect themselves from imminent PR nightmares. Let’s look at two examples.
Ammon Bundy and the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Occupation (2016)
At the beginning of January 2016, Latter-day Saint Ammon Bundy led a group of militia members attending a nearby rally to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and occupied it for several weeks. This was prompted by frustration over the arrests of two ranchers on arson charges earlier in 2015. When an Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reporter asked one of the militia members for his name, he replied, “I’m Captain Moroni, from Utah.” OPB published an article by John Sepulvado on 3 January 2016 explaining the scriptural reference, “Explainer: The Bundy Militia’s Particular Brand of Mormonism” (Archived version). Predictably, Church HQ was not happy about the subsequent requests for comment. Their media statement was brief, but pointed.
In response to news media inquiries, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Monday, January 4 (for more context on this issue, see this story from the Washington Post):
“Church Responds to Inquiries Regarding Oregon Armed Occupation,” Newsroom, 4 January 2016
While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis. We are privileged to live in a nation where conflicts with government or private groups can — and should — be settled using peaceful means, according to the laws of the land.
Multiple news outlets covered the Church’s response, putting it in the context of the militia members’ claim of divine justification.
- Peggy Fletcher Stack at The Salt Lake Tribune: “Mormon leaders to Oregon militia: Your religion isn’t with you.” (4 Jan. 2016, updated 22 Jan. 2016)
- Ryan Haas at OPB: “Latter-day Saints Headquarters Distances Itself with Armed Occupiers.” (4 Jan. 2016)
- Whitney Evans at the Deseret News: “Understanding the Oregon protest and standoff” (6 Jan. 2016)
- Liz Fields at VICE News: “The Oregon Militia’s Mormon Leader is Getting Snubbed by Mormon Church” (6 Jan. 2016)
Ayla Stewart and Unite the Right at Charlottesville (2017)
In August 2017, many alt-right groups, including white nationalists and white supremacists, gathered to Charlottesville, Virginia, “to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.” One of the invited speakers at this “Unite the Right” rally was Latter-day Saint blogger Ayla Stewart, a.k.a. “Wife With a Purpose.” Stewart was a darling of the alt-right, having risen to prominence in tradwife and white nationalist circles. She issued a tongue-in-cheek “white baby challenge” on Twitter in March 2017 which garnered media attention. Tribune reporter Peggy Stack summarized Ayla’s views at the time: “Mormonism is doomed if it continues to celebrate racial and ethnic diversity, to support refugees and immigrant families, and to debase Western, white culture.”
Due to the violence at the August rally, Ayla Stewart was unable to participate. When the church issued a statement on 13 August 2017 condemning the racial violence at Charlottesville, Ayla Stewart was pleased. As our own Andrew S reported, the Church’s initial statement was intentionally ambiguous. (Andrew called these historic statements on race “Roschach Revelations.”) Ayla Stewart retweeted the Church’s statement, commenting “The #LDS church teachings are clear, you cannot be anti white and a follower of Christ. We are ALL God’s children!” Church leaders were apparently disturbed enough by this particular interpretation that they amended their statement on August 15th to clarify that “Church members who promote or pursue a “white culture” or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.”
UPDATE: Tuesday, August 15, 2017
The Church has released the following statement:
It has been called to our attention that there are some among the various pro-white and white supremacy communities who assert that the Church is neutral toward or in support of their views. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the New Testament, Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39). The Book of Mormon teaches “all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).
White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a “white culture” or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement Sunday, August 13, 2017:
It is with great sadness and deep concern that we view the violence, conflict and tragedy of recent days in Charlottesville, Virginia. People of any faith, or of no faith at all, should be troubled by the increase of intolerance in both words and actions that we see everywhere.
More than a decade ago, the late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) addressed the topic of racism when speaking to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He powerfully and clearly taught this principle: “No man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ.” For members of the Church, we reaffirm that teaching today and the Savior’s admonition to love our neighbor.
Our prayers are with those who are suffering because of this intolerance and hatred. We pray for peace and for understanding. Above all, we pray that we may treat one another with greater kindness, compassion and goodness.
“Church Issues Statement on Situation in Charlottesville, Virginia,” Newsroom, 15 August 2017.
Ayla did not take the amended statement well. “This is a dark day. The day the LDS church turned it’s back on its white members.”
Tim Ballard — what’s the Church worried about?
Circling back to Tim Ballard, what could be the potential PR disaster? It’s clear that Friday’s statement was intended to distance both Elder Ballard and the Church from any association with Tim Ballard and OUR.
President Ballard never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim’s personal or financial interests. In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them.
Actions following the statement reinforced the Church’s distancing from Tim Ballard. On Saturday, two articles referencing him and Operation Underground Railroad were scrubbed from the Church’s website: “Saving Children: Time Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad” (17 March 2015) and “We Had to Seek God” (Global Histories, Haiti, Stories of Faith, unknown date).
Curiously, the Church’s for-profit bookseller and publisher, Deseret Book, still has many of Tim Ballard’s products available to purchase. Online orders are limited to ebooks and audiobook mp3 files, but physical copies and audiobook CDs are still showing in stock at some brick and mortar stores. Although publication by (and sale at) Deseret Book does not indicate Church endorsement, it implies consistency with current Church norms.
- Timothy Ballard, The Lincoln Hypothesis: A Mordern-Day Abolitionist Investigates the Possible Connection Between Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Abraham Lincoln, published by Deseret Book Company (2014, 2016)
- Timothy Ballard, The Washington Hypothesis: A Modern-day Investigator Explores the Possible Connection Between American Covenant, Latter-day Temples, and George Washington, published by Deseret Book Company (2016)
- Timothy Ballard, The Pilgrim Hypothesis: Exploring the Possible Connections Between the Restoration of the Gospel, the Gathering of Israel, and the Pilgrims Founded America, published by Covenant Communications (2020)
- Timothy Ballard, The American Covenant: One Nation Under God: Vol. 1: Discovery Through Revolution, published by Digital Legend (2011, 2020, 2023)
- Timothy Ballard, The American Covenant: One Nation Under God: Vol. 2: The Constitution, the Civil War, and Our Fight to Preserve the Covenant Today, published by Digital Legend (2011, 2020, 2023)
- Timothy Ballard, The Covenant, One Nation Under God: America’s Sacred & Immutable Connection to Ancient Israel, published by Digital Legend (2012) and Legends Library Press (2019)
- Timothy Ballard, Slave Stealers: True Accounts of Slave Rescues – Then and Now, published by Shadow Mountain (2018)
Notably, Tim Ballard’s books were published under several different imprints of Deseret Book: Deseret Book Company, Covenant Communications, and Shadow Mountain. Also available to purchase on the Deseret Book website are podcast episodes and sermons by Tim Ballard from the Deseret Book-sponsored Time Out for Women events. UPDATE 9/19/23: the podcast episodes & Time Out for Women speeches featuring Tim Ballard (available yesterday from the Deseret Book website) have now been removed. UPDATE 9/25/23: all books by Timothy Ballard have now been removed from the Deseret Book website.
In short, while the Church may claim it “never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them,” for-profit church-owned entities most certainly did (and still do).
Political trouble
With Mitt Romney’s recent retirement announcement, many folks expect Tim Ballard to run for Romney’s Utah senate seat. In a statement late Monday from the Spear Fund, Tim Ballard suggested that the timing of the church’s statement was suspicious given Romney’s statement, Ballard’s “own public comments about [his] prayers about future plans, and the fact that the LDS church does not engage in political activity.” I think Tim Ballard’s right about the Church’s statement being linked to politics.
In the last few months, we’ve had several messages from Church leaders about partisanship and patriotism. In June, a First Presidency letter was directed to be read in sacrament meeting encouraging members to avoid straight-ticket voting. Also in the letter were recommendations to vote for candidates that demonstrate “integrity, compassion, and service to others,” with the Church reserving the right to speak on issues “essential to preserving democracy or the essential functioning of the United States Constitution.”
At the beginning of July, the Utah Area Presidency sent a memo to stakes and wards encouraging them to participate in Utah’s newly designated “American Founders and Constitution Month in September.” The Area presidency requested stakes to “sponsor one patriotic event during the month of September that would (1) rekindle a spirit of patriotism by educating our Saints on the inspired principles of the Constitution… and/or (2) build a spirit of appreciation for our Founding Fathers who were raised up by the Lord.” The area presidency recommended church leaders look towards the nonpartisan “Why I Love America” group for ideas.[fn1] The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out the “Why I Love America” group “includes at least one 2020 election denier and no known Democrats to teach members how to love the U.S. Constitution.” Over at By Common Consent, tax lawyer Sam Brunson voiced similar reservations about the group, highlighting it’s choice of keynote speaker, “a self-styled historian who argues that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation.”[fn2]
How does this apply to Tim Ballard? As Ben Park wrote for Slate, “Ballard’s brand of revisionist truth-telling has been especially popular within the LDS community. He wrote a series of books, marketed by the Latter-day Saints publisher Deseret Books, on America’s founding figures—the pilgrims, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln—that utterly dismiss existing scholarship.” What better than a Latter-day Saint who doesn’t just argue for Christian influence on the founding fathers, but secret Latter-day Saint influence? Ballard’s books, as Park noted, postulated “Washington… was visited by the Angel Moroni, the same divine figure who delivered the gold plates to Joseph Smith; Lincoln, conversely, was inspired to write the Emancipation Proclamation after reading the Book of Mormon.”
Earlier this summer, the movie Sound of Freedom, based on Tim Ballard’s life, became a “surprise box office hit” with NPR reporting that the movie was “heavily promoted in conservative media.” A Forbes article similarly reported that the movie brought in “big numbers…thanks to its immense popularity among conservative audiences and promotion by right-wing politicians and media figures ranging from Donald Trump to Sean Hannity.” In the past few years, Tim Ballard accumulated political clout among the more extreme right-wing fringes of the Republican party. His political star is rising.
And, Tim Ballard significantly influenced the thinking of many Latter-day Saints on the role of religion in the nation’s founding, in large part due to his support from the Deseret Book Company. His friendship with church leaders, like President Ballard, confirmed his position as a trusted authority.
If Tim Ballard maintains an image of a member in good standing AND becomes a leading candidate for senate, it will put him on a collision course with church leaders. Like Ammon Bundy and Ayla Stewart, it’s likely Tim Ballard’s overt Christian Nationalism (not to mention QAnon theories) will put the Church in uncomfortable spots having to clarify “official” positions. Unlike Ammon Bundy and Ayla Stewart, Church-affiliated institutions aided Ballard in promoting his religio-political views for many years, making them more difficult for the Church to counter.
[fn1] Our stake held a “Why I Love America” BBQ on 9/11 and had all wards switch to a patriotic theme for services on September 17th. After sacrament meeting, young men dutifully handed out official Why I Love America booklets to each family for home study.
[fn2] Other guests at upcoming “Why I Love America” events include former general church leaders Tad Callister and Bonnie Cordon as well as Utah political figures Chris Stewart (current U.S. Congressional Rep.) and Gary Herbert (former Utah governor). Oh, and singing will be done by the American Heritage School Choir, a conservative institution with ties to current apostle Elder Ronald A. Rasband.
Wheat & Tares 
I genuinely believe that Tim Ballard cares about human trafficking and has done things to combat it. I also think he likes to hear himself talk and has something of a God complex. The image he paints of human trafficking makes it easy to raise money, but also bends the truth about what human trafficking looks like and the best ways to fight it…
Honestly, he’s found himself a powerful niche. Any time concerns are raised against OUR or Ballard, supporters swoop in saying, “how dare you question the fight against something this evil…sure seems suspicious, maybe you”re hiding something.” A platform like Ballard’s makes it very easy to justify all sorts of behavior and beat down opposition purely on principle…a politician’s dream.
Even in the last 12 hours I’ve seem supporters accuse Elder Ballard in being complicit with traffickers because of the recent allegations.
I do think it’s unlikely that the church would officially condemn Ballard using an anonymous spokesperson through an outlet like VICE… Just think about that idea for a minute.
Other options:
-VICE had someone step forward with real church credentials, but without permission.
-The whole thing is a publicity stunt to galvanize the base ahead of an election. “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Ballard needs the support of conservatives after being ousted from his own organization… Conservatives will see a hero being attacked and respond predictably…his existing detractors don’t actually matter.
-VICE makes money by telling controversial stories…so that’s exactly what they’re doing.
-Some combination of all three
question: What Makes the Church Turn on a Popular Latter-day Saint like Tim Ballard?
answer: Bad PR.
Considering that we just recognized the “September 6,” it seems that if Tim Ballard were dealing with facts he’d be excommunicated but since he’s dealing with speculations, accusations, conjugations and outright lies, since he’s sincere and making so much money……. he’s safe from excommunication. What does a cult look like?
Pirate Priest, the Church’s statement was verified by many media outlets, including the Deseret News, Trib, and local news stations. It’s real. Scrapping two pages that mention Tim Ballard from ChurchofJesusChrist.org within 24 hours of the statement being published also supports its legitimacy.
Josh h, yep.
Instereo, the Church is anticipating bad PR. IIRC, Ayla Stewart left the Church before facing any discipline. When dealing with folks with bizarre beliefs (as opposed to publicly opposing the Church), it usually takes months to years before local leaders discipline them. ETA: and only *after* those individuals challenge the authority of local and/or general Church leaders.
The Pirate Priest wrote: “I do think it’s unlikely that the church would officially condemn Ballard using an anonymous spokesperson through an outlet like VICE… Just think about that idea for a minute.”
Are you really saying the church’s denunciation of Ballard is unauthentic or bogus? In their article yesterday, the Des News reported that “The Deseret News independently verified the legitimacy of the statement issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Similarly, yesterday the Tribune wrote “The church, which confirmed its statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, has now removed several articles on its website that mentioned the anti-slavery activist and his work . . . .” I think it’s unlikely the church would allow Vice to misquote it for even a moment.
I’ve changed my mind, moderator… can you not post my last comment?
Mod note: done.
Looks like my information was old. If the church has verified it, then great. Unfortunately I have no way to edit my original comment to reflect it.
Excellent OP. Many of my fellow ward members worship at the altar of Tim Ballard. Their fundraising efforts for him are obnoxious in the extreme. Arguments on his behalf range from pointing out that the Prophet Glenn Beck supports him, he is in direct communication with Nephi, and is the “one mighty and strong” mentioned in the BoM (whatever that means).
Ballard has been accused by seven women of sexual harassment and subsequently forced to resign from Operation Underground Railroad. Just the type of person fundamentalist Mormons would like to represent them in the U.S. Senate.
Kudos to the Church for disavowing Ballard. The problem is that many of his followers will ignore the warning and still provide funding. Perhaps the larger question is why are so many Mormons so easily duped by these charlatans?
The church has been so bogged down in being conservative that it is kinda trapped now that many Republicans have gone slightly crazy. It wants to be the kind of Republican that Romney is, not the kind of Republican Trump is, and now Romney has announced that the party is too far into white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and the kind of people who grope their boy friend in public, that he just can’t be a part of it any more. It has always supported and taught things like God having a hand in the establishment of the US and unfortunately the racism in the BoM, and it’s stand against gay rights, and now the far right has taken those ideas in a direction the church doesn’t want to go. And the crazies have taken over those ideas. I honestly feel sorry for the respectable, honest, upright Republicans, who are abandoning politics because the extreme right crazies have taken over. What is an honest Republican supposed to do when the party ignores corruption, ignores insurrection, ignores sexism, homophobia, and racism…no promotes sexism, homophobia, and racism. The poor church wants to be an honest Republican. Sorry church those are getting more and more unpopular and rare. Nobody seems able to take a stand against Trumpism and survive in the Republican Party. The church is going to have to decide which side it is really on, the side of love and inclusion and the Constitution of the US, or the side of the conspiracy theorists and Christian Nationalists. Going to be a HUGE shift in direction.
And here is yet another argument in favor of emeritus status for the Q15, no matter how inspired they think they are. Mormons are susceptible to affinity fraud, and there’s no reason to think the General Authorities are immune.
I have long had a strong distaste for Ballard for many of the reasons mentioned above and more, so I won’t belabor that here. I have equal distaste for the Bundys, Alya Stewart and others of their ilk, and have long wondered why, despite their very public unchristlike behaviors, the Church has largely left them alone, but has been quick to punish activists, scholars and podcasters who, whether you agree with them or not, haven’t really done anything harmful to anyone. But over time it became clear–the Church will tolerate many kinds of misconduct from members (including public figures) without initiating formal discipline, but the clear line in the sand is being openly critical of Church leaders (not just policy or doctrine, but the men in charge) or otherwise misrepresenting them or causing them embarrassment, “even if the criticism is true” as DHO has said. Despite amassing years of documented behavior that most would consider to be unbecoming of a disciple of Christ, Tim Ballard finally crossed the Church’s red line only recently, as the Church portrays him as someone who betrayed his trusted relationship with an apostle for personal gain and aggrandizement, and I’m inclined to believe that assessment. While I’m sure Church leaders had ongoing concerns about his messiah complex, political ambitions, organizational mismanagement and growing influence among members, the last straw was actually his soured personal relationship with an apostle. And by firing back at the Church, he’s only digging himself deeper; accusing the Church of lying with no evidence is an unwinnable battle, especially in Utah. While I firmly denounce human trafficking and support any legitimate organization that is working to end it, I am not ashamed to say I’m getting some enjoyment by watching Ballard’s public downfall.
Whether or not Tim Ballard explicitly told his female victims that Elder Ballad authorized him to use “any means necessary” to free the children or he simply used the close relationship to enhance his persona in pressuring women into a compromised situation is indifferent in my opinion. It seems too much like an angel with a flaming sword type of manipulation though. His over the top response to the church seems calculated to get himself excommunicated. The church will need to be more detailed in their statements or he’ll be crying about being the victim in all this.
Corou,
“His over the top response to the church seems calculated to get himself excommunicated. The church will need to be more detailed in their statements or he’ll be crying about being the victim in all this.”
His statement from SPEAR was designed to bully the Church to back down or risk a more public confrontation, not necessarily to get exed. He first states that “Evil pedophiles will stop at nothing, and they have allies in government, in the media, in big corporations, and even in public institutions. They continue to lie about and attempt to destroy my good name…and they will never stop.”
After laying this warning (which could include potentional evil pedophiles in church leadership), he challenges the legitimacy of the Church’s statement, giving them an opportunity to recant and back down. “If someone within the church did release this statement, I am absolutely confident that the right people will step in and ensure that proper due process is followed as the rules of our church dictate.”
It is in the Church’s best interests to remain quiet and not take the bait.
Full statement: https://thespearfund.org/press/tim-ballard-issues-statement-affirming-commitment-to-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/
Personal takes here, the Church looks bad because 1) E. Ballard was duped by a charlatan, 2) the membership is so far right wing at this point that they will literally take sides with a grifter like Tim Ballard over the Church they claim to love (at least on Twitter), and 3) Church leaders have such a conservative bias and are at war with “the left” (or what they think the left is) that they are being fooled into stupid stuff over and over, so nothing is going to change. Turning Church meetings into a celebration of the constitution is just so, so wrong, and the blind spots of those leaders in choosing a “nonpartisan” group to head up the festivities when that group literally didn’t even have one Democrat involved is just gob-smacking. They’ve lost the script. They are trying to solve problems that don’t exist while ignoring the ones that do. They isolate themselves from any viewpoints they don’t like.
I love this country. I love being an American. I love it enough to be engaged and to criticize America’s failures, and try to help us all do better. The Church’s conservative bent, whether political or within our congregations, makes trying to improve things (which requires admitting they need improvement which is the definition of criticism) a punishable crime. We’ve completely lost our way. Oh, and I fully expect Tim Ballard to replace Mitt Romney in the Senate. He’s a celebrity now and a hero to the duped conservative populace. This is peak 2023.
From the OP:
“At the beginning of July, the Utah Area Presidency sent a memo to stakes and wards encouraging them to participate in Utah’s newly designated “American Founders and Constitution Month in September.” The Area presidency requested stakes to “sponsor one patriotic event during the month of September that would (1) rekindle a spirit of patriotism by educating our Saints on the inspired principles of the Constitution… and/or (2) build a spirit of appreciation for our Founding Fathers who were raised up by the Lord.” The area presidency recommended church leaders look towards the nonpartisan “Why I Love America” group for ideas.[fn1] The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out the “Why I Love America” group “includes at least one 2020 election denier and no known Democrats to teach members how to love the U.S. Constitution.” ”
Not to threadjack too much, but I haven’t heard the slightest whisper of any such things happening among wards and stakes where I live, which is in a U.S. state outside the Mountain Time Zone, but just barely. I suppose its just another reminder that, no matter how global and universal the Church purports to be, the version of the Church Utah gets is still very different from the version the rest of us get, for better or worse (usually worse).
I gotta say, I saw this coming from a mile away when, several months ago, I read about how OUR owns a bunch of cross-fit gyms and sells tennis shoes and other stuff. These guys who go all in on the graft mode of production under the guise of doing social good under a non-profit (but still try to profit) inevitably turn out to be creepy weirdos.
Earlier this year I was visiting family in Utah and they gushed about Tim Ballard and the movie, Tim even visited my parents’ home ward to do some kind of fireside/devotional thing. A family member of mine told me that Tim was Pres. Ballard’s son. And not going out of his way to tell anyone otherwise that was was probably carefully calculated on Tim’s part. That, together with his meetings with Pres. Ballard, gives him more legitimacy in his attempts to get church members’ donations.
The church is right to disavow him, but it’s still a pretty big L for the church that they cozied up to him in the first place and are now having to pretend like they never had anything to with him.
The more I think about this, one phrase that sums up the entire problem with Ballard and those like him is, “How far will you go to….”
In this case, “How far will you go to save a child?” On the surface this seems like a question with noble intentions, but the problem is that it’s being used to manipulate/abuse others for money, influence, and sex…not just to save children.
Frankly, I’m glad that it wasn’t just a piece of shock journalism and that it has been corroborated by multiple news outlets. I haven’t been a fan of Ballard in years.
This sort of thing always makes me think about how one of the very first BoM stories taught to children is Nephi killing Laban…ya know, because God said it was ok. From almost day one we’re taught that the ends justify the means, and that we’re not to question the means God chooses. This gets to be a dangerous doctrine when people call their own desired “God’s will” (whether they do it intentionally or mistakenly). This has served as the doctrinal justification for all sorts of things in Mormonism, especially with the idea that the Q15 are God’s mouthpiece on earth and that God would strike them down if they ever tried to lead the church astray.
We need a statement regarding Jodi H and Ruby Franke and possibly Ruby’s parents who are still serving a mission. Talk about bad PR…
Angela said: I fully expect Tim Ballard to replace Mitt Romney in the Senate.
Yes, he can join the crazies in Washington like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Utah’s own Mike Lee!
Pirate Priest: “How far will you go to save a child?” now joins the ranks of other pickup lines like “What’s your sign?” and “Come here often?” Oh, and “Would you like to go see Beetlejuice: The Musical?”
https://x.com/RykerJackson97/status/1703981929320903111?s=20
A pretty good take, IMO (see above Tweet link): “I think one of the biggest misconceptions about this whole thing is the idea that the church took the initiative in publishing a statement about Tim Ballard. That isn’t what happened. They were contacted by reporters who were getting ready to run a story about Ballard and who were going to mention that Ballard claimed his actions were officially sanctioned by the church.
Had the church not been contacted about this soon to be published story, I highly doubt they would have said anything. The church does not respond to every controversy, but when the story as reported could defame the church, they don’t really have a choice. I don’t see how the church had any option other than doing what they did. Had the church not publicly distanced themselves from Ballard, many people would ostensibly believe that, per Ballard’s claims, the church was sanctioning his actions.”
Jack Hughes,
The Utah Area president is Elder Pearson. Other area presidents may not share his views or his activism. My area president has never sent out letters like Elder Pearson has.
Update: the podcasts & Time Out for Women episodes featuring Tim Ballard available yesterday from the Deseret Book website have now been removed.
There have been a few strong voices from respected authorities within the lds church. It is unfortunate that they didn’t get much traction.
Here is a good example, an opinion piece by Chris L. Porter, an BYU professor of Human Development, published in the SL Tribune in July
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2023/07/29/chris-l-porter-moved-by-sound/
I think the church is terrified that they may have Mr. Rapey McGrifterson himself as a Mormon senator from Utah. They know it’s not going to make the church look good and he will 100% be excommunicated if he tries to run. It may already be underway.
Last year The Atlantic published a piece titled The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic. It did a good job of piecing together all the different threads of the topic. It’s worth the read.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/children-sex-trafficking-conspiracy-epidemic/620845/
This is an important topic and I’ve been waiting for W&T to post about it. Thank you @Mary Ann.
Here are a few of my thoughts on this subject:
1 – Anyone who has followed OUR closely since its inception knows there are many questions and concerns about the organization, its finances, and operations claims. Vice is not new to covering OUR. For at least three years it has been working to verify OUR’s claims through fact checking, facts which evidently are elusive. Lynn Packer, one of Utah’s more regarded investigative journalists, was also reporting on OUR’s dubious claims before 2020 and its possible money grifting.
Beyond the prism of culture wars, I talked to a child healthcare professional who articulated concerns that reach beyond the headlines, like the importance of aftercare for rescued victims, and how that seems to be grossly lacking in the OUR model. A child psychologist, a friend, explained to me, “there is trauma there that needs to be addressed and treated and which may take years or a lifetime to resolve. Why is no one talking about that as they cheer on OUR?” (Thinking about this now in 2023, it’s probably because aftercare doesn’t make for a good action movie.) This is a conversation I had with my friend in 2018. So concerns about OUR and the motives of Tim Ballard and the efficacy of his methods are not new.
2 – The institutional church, and President/Elder Ballard, seems not to demonstrate effective discernment. Remember when Elder Ballard keynoted the conference in SLC sponsored by the World Congress of Families and said glowing things about it? Go back and read Elisa’s excellent review in W&T of the insidiousness of the WCF and what it is really about. The church was for a time–or at lease some of its high level representatives–supportive of WCF and its global agenda. It makes me wonder if anyone in the COB is capable of being skeptical and has the courage to whisper (or shout) in the ears of members of the Q15 when they see them walking in the direction of a cliff with a long drop. Stepping in it is not a new thing for Elder Ballard. (And I’ll note I’m aware of the many other examples, like Mark Hoffman, that also serve as an analog that should signal to the church they need to wise up and employee stronger methods of systematic doubt.)
3 – Tim Ballard’s books are crap. Just total crap. (I have to add this into the discussion.) How DesBook can publish and shelve them makes me wonder if the church cares at all about its credibility as a publishing house. Where are the editors who give two hoots about the integrity of their brand and own professional reputations? Ballard’s claims about Washington and Lincoln are beyond absurd. (Part of the problem is that people like Elder Tad Callister live in the same zip code of belief as Ballard that the heavenly dynamics of the restoration bore a fantastical and outsized influence on these historical figures, lack of evidence be damned.)
4 – Lastly, I’m a little surprised I haven’t seen more talk about the Psychic Janet and her guiding Ballard’s operations through her mediumship, claiming to commune with Nephi. Is it so outlandish that we simply chuckle and dismiss it? Or do our own beliefs in access to the supernatural (visitations of angels, direct revelation from God, etc.) make this an uncomfortable topic, and one we would prefer to avoid?
BigSky, on the psychic thing, I tend to see jokes on social media about it, but not much more than that. It’s one of dozens of bizarre details in this situation, so it might just be getting drowned out by other stuff.
Imo, claiming visions/visitations is a common element of more conservative offshoots. Denver Snuffer, Mike Stroud, & others are all about accessing the other side of the veil for spiritual enlightenment. Endtime preppers often rely on visions/NDEs to help gauge the timing of the Second Coming. Julie Rowe relied a lot on her NDE, visions, and interactions with her spirit guide while doing her prepper & energy healing stuff. And, of course, there’s the complete nuttiness of Chad Daybell & Lori Vallow. So for me, the reliance on a psychic to talk to a dead BofM prophet for help planning O.U.R. missions wasn’t one of the more interesting elements of this case.
My ward in northern Utah’s topic for Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday was the Constitution and founding of America patriotic songs included. I was going into church on Sunday with an anxious mind related to personal decisions I was trying to make and when the topic was introduced I felt completely deflated. I was not looking for a history lesson, I was looking for spiritual uplift and perspective. What a missed opportunity to succor those in need. I know from experience that Sacrament Meeting talks can be hit or miss but this felt completely off target.
“In short, while the Church may claim it “never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them,” for-profit church-owned entities most certainly did (and still do).”
I have to disagree with the “never endorsed” church claim. As an average person, the fact that his books etc are sold at Deseret Book, a for-profit church-owned entity, does imply endorsement or at least agreement/support to me. The same can be said for all the Chad and Lori Daybell merch (though I understand those items have all been pulled). The church controls what is sold in their retail store. If I went into a Deseret Book, I would fully expect that anything I find there is in alignment with church policy and teachings. The fact that they have carried all his merch implies endorsement and support. Perhaps it’s time for management at Deseret Book to take a closer look at what they stock and sell. There has been a lot of negative press on certain members activities lately, I have no doubt that more will arise. Deseret Book would be wise to get ahead of the curve.
As an aside, outside of Utah, pretty much no one has even heard of story. If it weren’t for online communities, I would have no clue.
Simple: 80% of 40 and over Mormons (Boomers, Gen X, the leadership and Mormons politicians) are trump supporters. And Ballard is the biggest of them all. And Lee too.
But wait. What about the under 40 crowd in the church? Only 42% of them support Trump. Hmm, the future of the church continues to be alienated by these far right neo conservative conspiracy theorists. And thus, they are leaving, and in their wake is an increasing (no longer fringe) echo chamber of crazies.
Ezra Taft Benson is to blame. He set the church down the path of destruction, and it’s irreversible. Killing Ballard’s senate campaign is a giant panic move by the church.
So it made me chuckle how frequently in the comments if which Ballard was being referenced was not specified, it wasn’t always easy to tell from context who was meant because the criticism might equally apply to both Ballards.
In terms of Russell Ballard being taken in by con men, I would point out that he is descendant of Hyrum Smith and both Hyrum and Joseph had a long track record of being taken in by con men (or a less generous interpretation would be that they were part of the con). So Russell Ballard doesn’t seem to fall far from the tree in that way.
I have heard about OUR in passing on some Mormon adjacent sites and from conversations with family, and notice a lot of mentions of “Sound of Freedom” while visiting Utah this summer. I remember googling OUR and after some brief reading thinking it was a scam of the sort that LDS people love to fall for. What is scary to me is from what I am reading here, it sounds like Tim Ballard has a pretty good chance of being Utah’s next Senator. Even no longer being a member of the LDS church, the way that so many LDS church members seem so credulous profoundly hurts those of us living outside the Mormon belt. I do blame LDS culture for that lack of discernment.
I didn’t vote for Romney for President, but I was impressed that he didn’t roll over and kiss the ring of Trump when he was in the Senate except for that brief dinner. If a con man like Tim Ballard is Utah’s pick, I think whatever last vestige of respect for members of the mountain church I have would be gone.
BigSky,
VICE News released an article today devoted to Janet the Psychic!
https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7bpda/operation-underground-railroad-child-rescue-missions-were-based-on-psychic-intelligence
Thanks you @Mary Ann! I read the article. Wow…
The quote attributed to Mark Twain was the first thing that came to mind: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
Mary Ann: I think I disagree with you about how much the church was motivated by distancing itself from the psychic. Once we start getting associated with psychics, it throws the whole image of the church into question. They are very wary of the “cult” label, and psychics, especially a woman, are basically the opposite of the men in suits without beards exercising “priesthood power” image that they have cultivated. It seems disorderly, open-ended, feminine, and hippie-ish. In short, the Church owns the “woo-woo,” and you don’t horn in on their territory with your pseudo- bootleg-“woo-woo.”
BigSky,
I am afraid that church leaders really are not dealing with current issues as we hope. Many have drunk the radical conservative kool aid so long they can’t see what is coming at them. Political ideologies provide frameworks for thinking, they tend to limit one’s vision via cognitive bias. And Tim Ballard’s books really are crap. I also wondered about the Deseret Book brand when I saw Ballard’s books. I came to the conclusion that they are blinded by cognitive bias or simply don’t care.
Angela, we can agree to disagree. Pres. Ballard has warned against both affinity fraud AND accessing supernatural powers outside the priesthood (Oct. 2017), so it’s hard to say which one he’d be more offended by. I still don’t think using a psychic would justify that statement to VICE, though.
I just caught wind of the Tim Ballard story. I hadn’t yet made the connection. He was the one who wrote the Lincoln Hypothesis and is the subject of that new Qanon movie The Sound of Freedom. My parents have raved about his books. In response to their praise and recommendations, I have evinced many wry smiles and silent sighs. I agree with Big Sky. Ballard’s books seem like complete garbage full of all sorts of logical fallacies and just overall terrible, bad faith research. The Sound of Freedom seems completely atrocious, full of all sorts of allusions to Qanon and Qanon-believing actors. I will not go see the movie. I’ve already heard enough. It is a tragedy that the important topic of human and child sex trafficking, which is full of jaw-dropping stories and is something that must be stopped to the best of our abilities, has been hijacked by the far right who have laden the topic with all sorts of exaggerations and lies and used it as a cudgel against political opponents. Large outcries about human sex trafficking have become dog whistles to the extremist right. I’m extra cautious when I hear stories about sex trafficking. Before believing any story, I feel around to see if it is associated with Qanon. A part of me is a bit relieved at the prospect that Ballard’s star could be blunted by these new revelations. But I wouldn’t put it past the party of Trump, George Santos, and Marjorie Taylor Greene to blow off this as all fake news and give Ballard their unrelenting support.
What has happened to our discernment? Deseret Book, Elder Ballard (whom I love), and of course so many friends who bore their testimonies about the movie.
I don’t get it. This world was rooted in Trumpism, Q-Anon and conspiracy theories, why did so many people assume the fruit was righteous?
Have you ever met a person with discernment? They surprise you by connecting with your soul. Their eyes, deep waters, make you feel as though you’ve boarded a fast-moving car together and you are speedily moving to understanding and transparency…swishing past chit chat, facades, and the superficial. Like communicating with a horse, a cat or a dog- much is said without saying a word.
I know so many among us who have this gift. Why are so many being hoodwinked? Do we not all have the gift of the Holy Ghost? Does someone want to join me in focus-grouping saints who cheered for OUR and now see the problem? What is happening?
I don’t mean to be the “I told you so” person, so I’ll pull a Sheldon Cooper and say “I so informed you thusly” about OUR and Tim B. . I always felt ookey about him and kept a distance. By “ookey” I mean- something in my soul wincedg when I heard people gush about the movie or his escapades.
That being said, I don’t always have the luxury to completely avoid difficult people and my back looks like a kitchen knife block stocked with the daggers of countless betrayers and ne’er do wells.
Maybe that’s what happened to Elder Ballard. I’ve always felt sorry for GAs and the way people (especially needy, over zealous, ladder-climbing and/or pushy people) target and glom on to them. I’ll bet that this makes the GAs retrench even further into their cloistered skyscraper, which causes even more dysfunction for the church.
I don’t live in the mountain West and I had heard nothing about OUR or Tim Ballard before yesterday or the day before. I had heard very little about the movie, a couple of FB friends who posted something about how good the movie was. Didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Mortimer, when you write about “so many friends who bore their testimonies about the movie,” I hope that this was outside of testimony meeting on first Sundays. Are our people testifying about movies in our pulpits? I hear from a son at BYU and from here, and one or two other places, about the politics in the Utah church, and I want to cry out, “say it isn’t so!” Is it so?
The Vice article that MaryAnn linked at 1:23 pm had a paragraph about Tim Ballard claiming he had approval from Elder Ballard:
“The centrality of Russon to OUR missions is clearly illustrated in the files. One is an investigator’s description of a video apparently taken, to go by the date of a file, ahead of the disastrous mission to find Gardy. Ballard is speaking to a group of men; he assures them that he’s speaking regularly with M. Russell Ballard, a powerful and revered figure in the LDS Church to whom he is not related, about “the whole process and all these miracles,” and that he’s been given a blessing by the apostle. ”
They’re quoting a video obtained in the course of an investigation by the Davis County Attorney’s office.
And this quote: ““Donors are not made aware that Nephi, via Mr. [sic] Russon, is the key piece of O.U.R. Operational Intelligence.” That’s referring to Ms. Russon’s conversations with Nephi about where to find a child trafficking victim.
Georgis,
I don’t live in the intermountain west, where most of my LDS friends who gushed over The Sound of Freedom live. My social media friends are a mish-mash of acquaintances I’ve collected over the years from out in the mission field, my mission, etc., and not a geographic co-location, so they don’t know each other. (I know a lot of Utahans Facebook friend their entire ward- and so a few loud voices could be amplified in that echo chamber. That’s not the case for me.) Several of my friends from SLC to Orem testified in typical testimony language on Facebook about the movie. I don’t know if their sentiments were also shared in fast and testimony meetings or not. My experience has been that LDS news in mainstream culture has often been a subject on open mic day. I really don’t know how prevalent the gushing was in church specifically.
Thanks, Mortimer. I misread your use of the phrase “bore their testimonies.” Thanks for the clarification.
“What has happened to our discernment…I don’t get it. This world was rooted in Trumpism, Q-Anon and conspiracy theories, why did so many people assume the fruit was righteous?”
I hear ya, Mortimer. I can’t figure any of this out. Is it 1984-like dystopia? Are we living in a poorly-written (or humorously-written) quantum computer program ala the Simulation Hypothesis? Or is this simply the approaching dark side of the prophetic end of times? Or maybe just a seriously elaborate April Fools joke? Beats me.
Any idea how much money Timmy Ballard has made? I mean if sex traffickers are selling young girls for cash, have any of them made more money than blonde Timmy? Who is doing the exploiting here? As far as I’m concerned, the church and Tim Ballard are both in the business of using fear to get ignorant people to send them cash and give them power. The church does not like competition and certainly doesn’t like other people stealing power away from them. Glenn Beck is the biggest peddler of fear known to mankind. The church uses fear of hell and separation from family. The right wingers use fear of socialism, equality, furries, homosexuals, etc. The right wingers are winning the fear war with the LDS population. They are simply using the same playbook and doubling down on the fear tactics. In so doing, the right wingers are gaining more power over the current LDS population than the Q15. The church is either going to have to use more fear to stay ahead of the, or risk losing their power, influence, and money raising capabilities. It is a race to the bottom at this point with that portion of LDS members who have dove into this quagmire. If your parents watch a lot of Fox News and listen to conservative talk radio, they are caught up in this and need some serious help.
The church needs to preach hope and completely get out of American exceptionalism and any fear based teachings. Lop that portion off like the rotten tumor that it is and move forward.
Zach Patterson,
From the SL Tribune today:
“According to OUR’s tax filings, revenues shot up from less than $3.5 million in 2014 to more than $42 million in 2021, a twelvefold increase, and it had more than $82 million in assets.”
and
“David Lopez, a former Navy SEAL involved in training operatives and leading OUR operations, told investigators he was offered a $25,000 monthly salary to join Ballard’s Slave Stealers. Lopez said the head of the organization told him that Ballard was making $900,000 annually from the organization.”
Update: As of September 25th, all of Tim Ballard’s books have been removed from the Deseret Book website.